Method and apparatus for reinforcing barrier interconnections

ABSTRACT

In an underground barrier wherein each barrier member has a first edge having a flange defining a first connector and an opposed second edge having a channel defining a second connector, the channel being sized and shaped to receive the flange in slidable interconnection therein an apparatus for reinforcing a connection between adjacent barrier members comprises a first plate shaped to correspond to a first side of the barrier member around the channel, a second plate shaped to correspond to a second side of the barrier member, around the channel and a plurality of fasteners extending between the first and second plates so as to retain the first and second plates proximate to the channel.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/750,731 filed Jan. 9, 2013 entitled Method and Apparatus for Reinforcing Barrier Interconnections.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to barrier walls in general and in particular to a method and apparatus for reinforcing the below surface connection of adjacent barrier members forming a subterranean barrier.

2. Description of Related Art

In the field of geotechnical engineering, it is frequently necessary to physically isolate one area in a soil formation from an adjacent area for a variety of purposes. These purposes may include providing a either a temporary or a permanent retaining wall, or may be for the purpose of isolating contaminants in one of those areas of soil from the other. One known method of providing such isolation is to insert successive panels into the soil formation between the two areas so as to form a continuous barrier therebetween. In the case of remediation work where the purpose is to contain and remove contaminants from the soil of one of the areas, it is frequently necessary to ensure that the barrier created by such panels does not have significant gaps therebetween which may allow the contaminants to escape.

Commonly, such panels used to form such barriers include connectors on each side of so that the panels may be interconnected to each other to form a continuous barrier. In particular, the barrier panels may include a flange on one side of the barrier panel which adapted to be slidably received within a slot or channel on an opposite side of an adjacent panel to slidably lock the two barrier panels together.

A difficulty with present methods of inserting remediation panels into soil formations is their susceptibility to encountering large boulders or other subsurface objects. It is well known that encountering such subsurface objects may cause the panel to buckle or otherwise deform. Buckling is particularly a concern for barrier panels formed of plastic or composite materials. Buckling of one remediation panel may cause the connector of that panel to disengage or unzipper from the corresponding connector of an adjacent panel. In particular, during buckling, the connectors between the barriers panel may be forced apart thereby creating a gap therebetween. The resulting unzippered connection will no longer contain contaminants or other fluids thereby compromising the barrier.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed an apparatus for reinforcing a connection between adjacent barrier members, each barrier member having a first edge having a flange defining a first connector and an opposed second edge having a channel defining a second connector, the channel being sized and shaped to receive the flange in slidable interconnection therein. The apparatus comprises a first plate shaped to correspond to a first side of the barrier member around the channel, a second plate shaped to correspond to a second side of the barrier member, around the channel and a plurality of fasteners extending between the first and second plates so as to retain the first and second plates proximate to the channel.

The channel may be formed by free distal edges wherein the first and second plates are located proximate thereto so as to prevent displacement of the free distal edges. The fasteners may comprise bolts. The fasteners may be passed through bores in the barrier members adjacent to the channel. The first and second plates may be formed of metal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention wherein similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view,

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a prior art system of a barrier wall being formed in a soil formation utilizing interlocking barrier members.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a section of the barrier member having a reinforcing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connection between the adjacent barrier members of FIG. 1 taken along the line 3-3 with the reinforcing apparatus applied thereto.

FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view of the reinforcing apparatus being applied to a barrier member.

FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view of the reinforcing apparatus applied to a barrier member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a barrier wall is shown generally at 10 being formed in a soil formation 8. The barrier wall 10 comprises a plurality of barrier members 12 inserted into the soil formation 8 adjacent to and interlocked with each other so as to form a continuous barrier wall 10. The barrier wall 10 may, by way of non-limiting example be a sheet piling wall wherein the barrier members comprise impermeable sheets. Barrier members 12, such as barrier piling sheets, for use in forming barrier walls in soil formation 8 are known in the art. Methods of inserting such barrier member are also known in the art, such as, by way of non-limiting example, by utilizing known pile driver methods such as drop hammers, vibratory hammers or plate tampers and excavators, utilizing a mandrel or digging a trench to receive the barrier members 12. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the barrier wall 10 may be formed by inserting a first barrier member 12 a into the soil formation and thereafter inserting a second barrier member 12 b adjacent to and slidably interlocked with the first barrier member 12 a.

With reference to the first barrier member 12 a, each barrier member comprises a body having a substantially rectangular outline defined by top 14, bottom 16 and first and second side edges, 18 and 20, respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the barrier member 12 may comprise a sheet of material having front and rear surfaces, 15 and 17, respectively and a variety of cross section profiles as are commonly known in the art. For example, by way of non-limited example, the barrier member 12 may have a substantially planar, z-shaped, a double z-shape, u-shaped or c-shaped cross section profile. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the top and bottom edges 14 and 16 are substantially parallel to each other. Furthermore, the first and second side edges 18 and 20 are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom edges. With reference to FIG. 2, the first edge 18 has a first connector 22 disposed therealong while the second edge 20 has a second connector 24 disposed therealong. As further described below, the first and second connectors 22 and 24, are adapted to cooperate with corresponding first and second connectors of adjacent panels. The barrier members 12 may be formed of any known material in the art. Barrier members may be formed of metal, such as steel or aluminium, resins such as vinyl, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or other known plastics, or composite materials such as fibreglass or carbon fibre by way of non-limiting example.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a cross-sectional view of a connection between adjacent first and second barrier members 12 a and 12 b is illustrated. As illustrated, the first connector 22 of the second barrier member 12 b is interlocked with the second connector 24 of the first barrier member 12 a. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the first connector 22 comprises an elongate flange 23 extending along the length of the first edge 18 of the barrier member. The flange 23 of the first connector 22 has front and rear surfaces, 34 and 32, respectively. The second connector 24 comprises a c-shaped channel 30 extending along the second edge 20. The c-shaped channel 30 is defined by first and second opposed partitions, 26 and 28, respectively adapted to surround the flange 23 and bear against the rear surface 32 of the first connector so as to retain the flange within the c-shaped channel 30.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the first and second connectors 22 and 24 extend along the first and second edges 18 and 20 of the barrier member. It will therefore be appreciated that the first connector 22 is adapted to be longitudinally slidable within the second connector 24. Adjacent first and second barrier members 12 a and 12 b may be connected by first interlocking the second connector 24 of the first barrier member with the first connector 22 of the second barrier member. The first barrier member 12 a may then be moved in a direction generally indicated at 9 in FIG. 1 parallel to the second barrier member until the first and second barrier members 12 a and 12 b form a continuous barrier wall 10. Successive barrier members 12 may then be added to lengthen the barrier wall 10.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 5, the second connector 24 includes a reinforcing apparatus 40 for reinforcing the first and second opposed arm partitions, 26 and 28 of the c-shaped channel 30. The apparatus 40 comprises a first plate 42 shaped to correspond to the first side 15 of the barrier member 12 around the c-shaped channel 30 and a second plate 70 shaped to correspond to the second side 17 of the barrier member 12, around the c-shaped channel 30. A plurality of fasteners 90, such as bolts, screws rivets or the like by way of non-limiting example extend through the first and second plates 42 and 70 and the barrier member 12 so as to retain the first and second plates around the channel as will be further described below.

The first plate 42 extends between first and second ends, 44 and 46, respectively and first and second side edges, 48 and 50, respectively and has front and rear surfaces, 52 and 54, respectively. The first plate includes a substantially planar portion 56 and first and second curved portions, 58 and 60, respectively. The first and second curved portions 58 and 60 have profiles corresponding to the curvature of the first partition 26. In the particular, the first and second curved portions may have radiuses of curvature selected to be between ¼ and 3 inches (13 and 76 mm) although it will be appreciated that other radiuses may be utilized as well. As illustrated, the first curved portion 58 bends the first plate 42 away from the barrier member 12 wherein the second curved portion 60 thereafter curved back towards the barrier member 12 as illustrated. It will be appreciated that other profiles may also be utilized to correspond to the shape of the second connector 24 of the barrier member. The first plate 42 includes a plurality of fastener bores 62 through the planar portion for receiving the fasteners 90 therethrough as will be discussed further below.

The second plate 70 extends between first and second ends, 72 and 74, respectively and first and second side edges, 76 and 78, respectively and has front and rear surfaces, 80 and 82, respectively. The first plate includes a substantially planar portion 84 and a curved portion 86 corresponding to the curvature of the second partition 28 towards the barrier member 12 as illustrated. The second plate 70 includes a plurality of fastener bores 88 through the planar portion for receiving the fasteners 90 therethrough as will be discussed further below.

As illustrated the barrier member includes a plurality of bores 25 extending therethrough in an arrangement and location corresponding to the fastener bores 62 and 88 of the first and second plates. As illustrated the bores 25, 62 and 88 may be arranged in a regular array, such as by way of non-limiting example a 2×3 array although it will be appreciated that other patterns may also be utilized. As illustrated, the fasteners 90 may comprise bolts although it will be appreciated that other fasteners may also be utilized. The bores 25, 62 and 88 are selected to have a diameter sufficient to permit the fasteners 90 to be passed therethrough, such as by way of non-limiting example, between ¼ and 1 inches (6 and 25 mm) although it will be appreciated that other diameters may be utilized as well. The fasteners 90 be passed through the bores 25, 62 and 88 and thereafter secured in place with nuts 92 or the like so as to compressible grip the first and second plates 42 and 70 against the barrier member 12. The fasteners 90 and 92 may be selected according to known methods to have sufficient strength to retain the first and second plates 42 and 70 in position. By way of non-limiting example, the fasteners may comprise bolts having a nominal size of between ¼ and ⅞ inches (6 and 22 mm) although it will be appreciated that other bolts may be utilized as well.

In operation, the first and second plates 42 and 70 are located on opposed sides of the barrier member 12 proximate to the top or bottom end 14 or 16 thereof with the bores 25, 62 and 88 in alignment with each other. Optionally, the barrier member may not include bores 25 wherein the first and second plates 42 and 70 may be located as desired by a user and thereafter, the bores 25 in the barrier member drilled to align with the bores 62 and 88. Thereafter fasteners 90 may be passed through the bores 25, 62 and 88 and secured in place with nuts 92. As illustrated in FIG. 3 the first and second curved portions 58 and 60 of the first plate 42 and curved portion 86 of the second plate 70 are located so as to be proximate to and bear against the first and second partitions 26 and 28. In such a manner, the first and second plates 42 and 70 will prevent or reduce outward deflection of the first and second partitions under loading.

The first ends 44 and 72 of the first and second plates have a spacing therebetween when applied to the barrier member 12 so such that opening of the c-shaped channel is not obstructed. By way of non-limiting example, the first ends 44 and 72 may be spaced apart by a distance of between 3 and 8 inches (76 and 203 mm) although it will be appreciated that other distances may be useful as well depending upon the shape and size of the c-shaped channel. The first and second plates 42 and 70 may be formed of any suitable material, such as, by way of non-limiting example steel, stainless steel, alloys, composite materials or plastics so as to have sufficient strength to reinforce the first and second partitions 26 and 28. The first and second plates 42 and 70 may also be formed of any thickness so as to have sufficient strength to restrain the first and second partitions 26 and 28 from moving depending on the material utilized. By way of non-limiting example, the first and second plates may be formed of between 1/16 of ⅜ inch (2 and 10 mm) thick steel plate although other materials and thicknesses may be used as well.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the apparatus 40 may be located proximate to a bottom edge 16 of the barrier member although it will be appreciated that it may also be located at other locations, such as by way of non-limiting example, proximate to the top edge 14 or in the middle of the barrier member. It will also be appreciated that more than one of the apparatus may be provided along each edge depending upon the reinforcement needs of the application.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for reinforcing a connection between adjacent barrier members, each barrier member having a first edge having a flange defining a first connector and an opposed second edge having a channel defining a second connector, the channel being sized and shaped to receive the flange of an adjacent barrier member in slidable interconnection therein, the apparatus comprising: a first plate shaped to correspond to a first side of the barrier member around the channel; a second plate shaped to correspond to a second side of the barrier member, around the channel; and a plurality of fasteners extending between the first and second plates so as to retain the first and second plates proximate to the channel.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said channel is formed between free distal edges wherein the first and second plates have edges located proximate thereto so as to prevent displacement of the free distal edges.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fasteners comprise bolts.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said fasteners are passed through bores in the barrier members adjacent to the channel.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and second plates are formed of metal.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first plate includes a planar section and an arcuate section corresponding to a first arm forming said channel.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second plate includes a planar section and an arcuate section corresponding to a second arm forming said channel.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second plate includes a planar section and an arcuate section corresponding to a second arm forming said channel. 